Ask the Author: Stuart Gibbs

“Ask me a question.” Stuart Gibbs

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Hi Mr. Gibbs! I really love your books, especially the spy school and Funjungle series. How did you manage writing multiple series at once?
Stuart Gibbs I like doing multiple series as it allows me to take a break from one series to work on another. I just have to be very organized to do it.
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is there going to be a MBA 4? (pls tell me there is going to be one)
Stuart Gibbs There will not be an MBA 4. here is why:

https://stuartgibbs.com/2020/07/03/he...
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Hi! My names Ella and I am now a 16 year old Junior in high school but I have been reading your Spy School series since I was 11 or 12. No matter how old I get a will forever get excited by the release of a new spy school book to read along with my Taylor Jenkins Reids, Emily Henry and Ally Carter novels. I was just wondering if you are going to keep Ben 14 or consider making him and the other characters older?
Stuart Gibbs Ben and the characters are aging through the series -- but slowly. I can't make a large jump in their ages because that would move them into high school -- and the series would then by Young Adult. I still need to think about my younger readers, so I intend to keep writing books that they can enjoy -- and that hopefully my older readers will enjoy as well.
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why do you always i think at least once in a book use the word "for starters" is there some meaning behind it?
Stuart Gibbs Every author has certain phrases that they lean on. I suppose that's one of mine.
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I LOVE your books! The Charlie Thorne Series is the best. Are you going to write more?
Stuart Gibbs I would like to write more but that series is very time-consuming and taking time away from other books, so I am not sure that I can continue it.
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I love how in your books, you always include a lot of fun facts and information about topics like cybersecurity and how humans affect the planet. I know you must do a certain amount of research before writing your books, but are most of the fun facts that you include part of the research you did prior to writing the book; or are they just facts you knew previously?
Stuart Gibbs Generally, the facts are things that I discovered over the course of writing the books -- although, on occasion, I might have learned something previously.
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Do you know how long you are going to continue writing the Spy School, Charlie Thorn, and Fun Jungle series, (like what age you want the characters are going to be when it ends)?
Stuart Gibbs I cannot say how many books will be in any of those series, or how old the characters will be at the end.
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Are you thinking about doing a series where the main characters are adult agents, and the different struggles and problems to be solved at that age?
Stuart Gibbs A series about adult agents and their struggles would be a series for adults, whereas I write middle grade, so at this time, I am not planning on doing that.
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What are the ages of some of your main characters (Erica, Ben, Summer, and Teddy)?
Stuart Gibbs The ages change depending on the books, as the characters are growing up throughout the series. For example, Ben is twelve at the beginning of Spy School, but is now fourteen.
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Hello Mr. Gibbs! First off, I want to say that your writing has truly helped me become a better writer, and a person. I cannot express what your work has done for me. I know it's a shot in the dark, but I noticed a lot of things in SSB were wrapping up-- do you plan on making a 15th SS novel, or is SSB the penultimate?
Stuart Gibbs Thanks for your kind words. I do plan to make a 15th SS novel, so SSB is not the penultimate. (Nice word, by the way.)
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What is your mbti?
Stuart Gibbs I have found that the answer to that changes every time I take the test.
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Are you going to make another Charlie Thorne book if so could you please tell me what it is?
Stuart Gibbs I have an idea for another CT book but I can't share it with anyone. Especially not in a public forum like this.
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How often do you go overseas?
Stuart Gibbs I try to travel abroad at least once a year, if I can.
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Hi Mr Gibbs I love your books! What inspired you to write a series about spies?
Stuart Gibbs You can find the answer to that question here:

https://stuartgibbs.com/about/
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HI BIG FAN! I have been reading the fun jungle series with my friend and have been loving it. how did you come up with the idea?
Stuart Gibbs When I was in college, I studied field biology and worked at a zoo. I got the idea that it would be fun to do a behind-the-scenes story at a zoo that had lots of fun animal facts as well.
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What part of writing do you find the most joy in and why? Planning/brainstorming, being with a team, the late nights and endless deadlines, or just reading these comments from happy readers?
Stuart Gibbs I find enjoyment in all the aspects of writing (although it is not really much of a team job). Getting comments from happy readers is always a bit of icing on the cake though.
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Why is Svetlana's last name Shumovsky instead of Shumovska? (Typically, last names in Slavic languages that end in -sky or -ski have a masculine and feminine version. -ska is the feminine version)
Stuart Gibbs You might be aware of this, but many people are not, and I felt like explaining the differences in family names would have been confusing -- given that it is not always done.)
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Is Erica actually from Baltimore, or did she just say that to distract Mike in Spy Ski School?
Stuart Gibbs Erica's family is from the Washington DC area. Baltimore was just part of her cover.
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Do you know about how many more books you’ll make in spy school and when the next one’s coming out? I love your spy school series btw and blackout was really good Also thanks for always answering people’s questions;)
Stuart Gibbs I don't know how many books there will be in the series, but the next one will be out sometime in fall of 2026. I always post updates on upcoming books on my website at www.stuartgibbs.com.
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do you answer your questions personally or is it your assistant?
Stuart Gibbs I answer these questions personally.
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Stuart Gibbs
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